Round 4
North Queensland Cowboys 25 d. Wests Tigers 24

2007 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Bowen magic sinks Tigers in thriller
Sat April 7, 2007
The magic of Matt Bowen and some ordinary football in the final 15 minutes from the Wests Tigers has seen the Cowboys escape with a remarkable 25-24 victory at Dairy Farmers Stadium.

The Tigers were the better team for much of the night, but they couldn't put away the Cowboys who were off their game with the exception of Bowen who owned the final stages of the match to steal away Wests first victory of the season and maintain North Queensland's unbeaten start to the 2007 season.

It wasn't all good news for the Cowboys with off-contract backrower Luke O'Donnell carried off in the first half with a badly torn hamstring injury, which will keep him out of the Anzac Test match in two weeks time.

Benji Marshall who had been in ordinary form to start the season began the match well when he put Daniel Fitzhenry over for the opening try in the 4th minute and converted for the Tigers to lead 6-0.

The score remained 6-0 until the 33rd minute when Marshall slotted a penalty goal to extend the lead by eight points. The Tigers were in for their 2nd try two minutes later with hard working hooker Robbie Farah crossing over. Marshall was spot on with the conversion with the Tigers up 14-0.

A huge hit from Matthew Scott from the kick off forced the Tigers to make an error on the kick return. Ashley Graham scored from the good field position after some good work from Jason Smith and Johnathan Thurston's excellent sideline goal brought the Cowboys back within eight points at the break.

Dean Collis scored two minutes into the second half to give Wests the ideal start to the second half to push them 18-6 clear with Marshall unable to convert the try.

Neil Sweeney scored outwide to get the Cowboys back into the clash and another bottler by Thurston from the sideline saw the Cowboys within six points.

A pin-point bomb from Marshall saw Brenton Bowen fumble the ball and Paul Whaturia was on the spot to dive on the ball. Marshall added the extras and at 24-12 the Tigers should have consolidated and wrapped up the game.

However, they did and the biggest turning point came in the 65th minute when an ordinary bomb from Marshall was picked up by Jason Moodie and he threw a speculating pass where it was intercepted by Graham who raced 80m untouched to score under the posts. Thurston landed the conversion and the momentum was all with the Cowboys.

Enter Matt Bowen who inspired and drove the Cowboys home in the final 15 minutes. Bowen was all over the place in support play, cleaning up dangerous kicks and in the 74th minute he weaved and stepped his way through several Wests defenders including his opposite number Brett Hodgson to bring the Cowboys back within two points. Thurston converted from next to the posts to level up the game.

Farah missed a shot at drop goal to gain Wests the lead and moments later Marshall threw a terrible pass into touch putting the Cowboys into prime position. Bowen than calmly potted over the one pointer to put the Cowboys ahead.

Wests had a chance right on full-time to send the match into extra-time or even win it but Fitzhenry lost the ball and it was game over.

The Tigers will be wondering where their first victory will be coming from losing three nail biters against Melbourne, Parramatta and now North Queensland while they had their opportunities against Manly in Round 2.

North Queensland once again continue to be the competition front-runners and it's the 3rd time in their history they have won their opening four matches with the other two occasions being in 1998 and 2006 and ironically both times they missed on making the Finals.

Matt Bowen's performance has put pressure on the Australian selectors to reward his outstanding form this season by finding him a spot in the 17 for the Anzac Test in two weeks time.

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